"Hey, Zhao Yuan, why'd you go quiet? What are you doing?" On the other end of the line, Pan Mei was puzzled when Zhao Yuan fell silent mid-sentence.
"It's nothing, I just remembered something." Zhao Yuan snapped out of his daze and, after a moment's thought, said, "About the interviews, let's do it your way, Sister Pan."
'Once the school paper and medical journals publish the interviews, I'll definitely get new admirers. Then I'll be able to see if admiration can be converted into Wish Power. If it can, I don't mind being a little more high-profile.'
"Excellent." Pan Mei was very pleased with Zhao Yuan's answer. "Your fourth class is about to start, so I won't keep you. I'll let you know once I've arranged the interviews."
After hanging up, Pan Mei pumped her fists in the air, even more worked up than Zhao Yuan himself.
Just then, someone appeared in the lab. Pan Mei immediately composed herself, affecting a calm demeanor.
The person hadn't seen her reaction from a moment ago; otherwise, they would have certainly thought she was schizophrenic.
"Pan Mei, I read online that a student in your class re-punctuated and re-translated the *Treasure of Life and Form Theory* and even got Elder Qiu's approval. Is that true?" the newcomer asked curiously.
"Yes, it's true," Pan Mei replied, her expression placid.
"That's incredible!" the person exclaimed.
Pan Mei waved her hand dismissively. "Pfft, what's so incredible about it? It's nothing special. He just impressed Elder Qiu and the other professors enough for them to call him 'teacher for a day,' that's all. Oh, right, and he's going to be published in the *Chinese Medicine* journal, but that's no big deal. Compared to your once-in-a-century medical prodigy, it's not even worth mentioning, not worth mentioning at all..."
'She's totally just showing off, isn't she? "Not worth mentioning?" My student only made it into the *Shu Region Medical Tales*. How can that possibly compare to *Chinese Medicine*? Damn it, to be such a show-off... you're so amazing, why don't you just ascend to the heavens?!'
That's right. The newcomer was none other than Liu Fugui, the advisor for the fifth-year integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine class. He had been insufferably boastful in front of Pan Mei before, so now that she had the chance, she certainly wasn't going to pass up an opportunity for payback.
Liu Fugui was absolutely fuming inside, but he couldn't let it show. He could only force a dry laugh and say, "Haha, you're too modest, Pan Mei."
"Yes, you're right. I've always been a humble person," Pan Mei said with a nod.
Ugh...
Liu Fugui was practically petrified.
'That was a jab at me, wasn't it?'
Just as Pan Mei was savoring her moment of triumph, Zhao Yuan received a call from Lin Xue. Just like Pan Mei, she was calling to ask if the rumors online were true. After getting an affirmative answer, Lin Xue was full of admiration and awe. Then, Yang Zi's voice came through the phone, "Zhao Yuan, you're so badass! Don't you think it's time you treated us to a meal?"
"No problem," Zhao Yuan said with a laugh. "There's no time like the present. How about lunch today?"
"Huh?" Yang Zi was clearly taken aback for a second. "Hehe, I was just kidding," she said quickly. "If anyone's treating, it should be us treating you to congratulate you."
Yang Zi knew a little about Zhao Yuan's circumstances and was aware his family wasn't well-off. She had just been joking around, not expecting him to actually agree. She instantly regretted her words and rushed to backtrack and make amends.
Zhao Yuan heard the unspoken concern in her voice and chuckled. "Don't worry, it's just a meal. I can afford it. To be honest, I recently came into a little bit of money and was already planning to treat you all anyway."
Hearing this, Yang Zi finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling less guilty.
After their fourth class, the guys from Dorm 301 met up with Lin Xue and Yang Zi at the school gate. Although Zhao Yuan confidently assured them that anything was fine, the group didn't want him to spend too much. Their original plan was to find a cheap buffet, but Zhao Yuan shot that down—he had no desire to get blacklisted again.
In the end, Yang Zi led them to a home-style restaurant near campus. The place was a favorite among students for its generous portions and cheap prices.
During the meal, Zhao Yuan ordered a table full of dishes. At first, everyone worried it would go to waste, but once Zhao Yuan unleashed his full firepower, their doubts were quickly erased. In the end, the entire table of food was wiped clean, with not a single scrap remaining.
When it was time to pay the bill, Zhao Yuan received a completely different kind of treatment than he did at the buffet.
The restaurant's owner looked at Zhao Yuan, his face beaming with a genuine smile. He grabbed Zhao Yuan's hand and refused to let go, saying breathlessly, "Young man, you have to come eat here more often! Starting today, you're a VIP customer! I'll give you a discount every time you come back!"
'How could he not love Zhao Yuan? This kid had single-handedly eaten enough for more than ten people! If he could just get a few more customers like him, he'd be rich!'
Seeing this, and recalling their previous experience at the buffet, the group burst into uproarious laughter, leaving the restaurant owner completely baffled as to what was so funny.
After his two afternoon classes, Zhao Yuan went to the anatomy building.
Even though he now had a source of income from the Soul-Stabilizing Incense, he had no intention of quitting his job as an assistant in the anatomy building. The work allowed him to learn a great deal, especially when he could cross-reference what he saw with the anatomical knowledge recorded on the Information Leaf. His learning progress was advancing by leaps and bounds!
That day, Zhao Yuan was busy in the anatomy building until just after six, when he finally finished his tasks. As he was preparing to leave, the sound of a cat meowing from a bamboo grove beside the corridor caught his attention.
The "meow" was shrill, yet it lacked power, clearly tinged with weakness.
"Meow," Zhao Yuan called out toward the bamboo grove, mimicking the sound.
And sure enough, the call lured the cat hidden inside the grove to come out.
After a RUSTLING sound, a small, completely snow-white kitten appeared before Zhao Yuan. It poked its head out from the bamboo, eyeing him warily and letting out a series of weak meows.
If the expelled Wang Lei and his two friends had been there, they would have surely recognized this as the very same stray kitten they had once mistaken for a Vengeful Spirit come to claim their lives.
"Hsss..."
When Zhao Yuan got a clear look at the little kitten, he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Because on this kitten's back, there was a long gash. He couldn't tell what had caused it, but the flesh was splayed open, deep enough that he thought he could see bone. The surrounding white fur was matted and stained red with blood.
'No wonder its meows are so weak. It's injured.' Placing a hand on the corridor railing, Zhao Yuan vaulted lightly into the bamboo grove.
The White Cat was startled and immediately turned to run.
"Wait, don't go! I don't mean any harm. I'm here to treat your injury," Zhao Yuan said quickly.
Whether it was because the White Cat understood his words, or because his gentle tone made it lower its guard, the beautiful little white kitten actually stopped and didn't run away.